Category: People

Everyone once in a while I get a press release that sells out before I can even post it. This is for a second show on Saturday May 6. Act Fast as Fritz is fall out funny and sells out fast in this venue.

Fritz’s show is a hilarious look at life on the far side of 50 and one not to be missed.

The press release teaser: Fritz Coleman Returns to SMP – Again!! – Again!!! – Thanks to a gratifying response to our last E-Blast, Fritz will give a SECOND performance Saturday, May 6 at 6:30pm. of his expanded version of DEFYING GRAVITY, a humorous look at the far side of 50. Yes, we all have to face that sooner or later, and Fritz is bound to share some insights that make it fun, funny, and familiar. We all know Fritz as that nice NBC weatherman who has been appearing in our living rooms seemingly for ever; we’ve watched him grow up. Join us for this playhouse fun-raiser, an evening of wit and laughter, followed by a wine ‘n cheese meet ‘n greet in the lobby.

Tickets HERE or by calling the Sierra Madre Playhouse direct at 626-355-4318. Note groups of 10 or more can get a 20% discount

This is going to be fun. A night of nurturing your inner 12 yo with art and limbered up with some right tasty craft brews by Pacific Plate Brewery. This event is supported by Paint ‘n’ Play Art Studio and Gallery as well as Monrovia Association of Fine Arts.

This isn’t free, but the $45 fee includes all materials and your Craft Beer. IMHO its well worth the cost of admission for an evening of art with Ms Butterfield, the craft beer is the icing on the proverbial cake!

Earlier this month, I crowed via social media about getting a pair of cheap seats to the Vin Scully Appreciation Game at Dodgers Stadium this coming September and how by not spending $1,400 for field-level butt rests I would have mooooore than enough to get me a customized Dodgers jersey honoring The Greatest Broadcaster Of Aaaaaaall Times who I unabashedly idolize and cherish!

Turns out easier said than done.

But let me back and fill for those who might be entirely and inexplicably clueless. Vincent Edward Scully, 88, has been the Los Angeles Dodgers announcer since they were the Brooklyn Dodgers back in the year Nineteen Hundred and Fifty. Last year, The Beloved Institution That He Is announced his retirement would commence at the end of this his Sixty-Seventh season behind the mic. If that two-digit number doesn’t blow you away, what’s wrong with you!? Sorry, didn’t mean to snap. What I mean is: think on that kind of longevity a little harder. What’s the longest job you’ve ever held? Me, it’s six years. Next, factor in this nebulous and dysfunctional City Of Change that we call home, and how its landmarks have been torn down and built over and torn down again and again forming sedimentary stacks of reinvention rising upon a foundation of disregard for our past. Then mix in the changes the Dodgers as an organization have been through these last 20 years alone? Lastly mix in the fact that most of us came from somewhere else and a lot of us remain unrooted to L.A. as a permanent base.

All the while, there has been Scully. Since the Dodgers moved here in 1958, there has been Scully. Every single year of my old-ass life as a native Angeleno and Dodgers fan: There. Has. Been. Scully. If his landmark status previously eluded you, maybe now you can see how people such as myself have formed such an attachment to this humble extraordinary man — who, incidentally, would be the first to dismiss such adoration. Maybe now you can see how people such as myself are among hundreds of thousands who really can’t fathom our town or its soundwaves without Scully in it. I still can’t fully wrap my head around the idea of his “It’s time for Dodger baseball!” opener at every home game not ringing out next year.

Every so often I get a press release that interests me a lot and I start asking questions and getting more detail for a post. In this case Nathanael Welch from the Hatchery Los Angeles reached out with info on an Art Walk featuring artists with disabilities he works with.

The Hatchery in short form is a theological school that is focused on building “common cause” community based churches. Fair enough, but the program Nathanael is working on is special. Its about giving artists with disabilities a way to showcase their art and share it in pop up galleries that pop up all over Los Angeles.

The event in Culver City will be the #CityWalk, where they take pictures and explore the area. Then they will have the pop-up gallery at a different location at the end of the month. They will meet downtown and then walk around the main street on June 12th. He said you can also have people contact him directly at his email address: [email protected] if you have questions. To follow Nathanael’s events you can sign up for Email Notices.

If you are a collector of vintage comic books, those going back 25-50 years this is the place to be this Sunday in the Valley. Oic your favorite super hero and or action figure comic character and find them in the stacks of goodies at this show.

There will be numerious vendors and exhibits as well as 8 comic book celebrities and/or Hollywood types gracing the show with their expertise in the minutiae of that business. Make not mistake about it, this is an art form and is celebrated at this convention.

They have a facebook page that the randomly update with information on the happenings that will take place Sunday at the convention. With nearly 2.5K followera this is shaping up to be a do not miss.

I missed the last games and don’t intend to miss this set of games if we get them. The investment required may seem daunting, but it means jobs while constructing and venues for after the games that will benefit the city. I’m jazzed at the prospect of them returning, are you?

This story in today’s Los Angeles Times (link) explores the incident from which I derived a foundation-level disdain for Donald Trump, and I, like much of 1989 Los Angeles, was only all too relieved when his proposed tower plan was killed.

It’s understandable given Trump’s recent and meteoric rise as a politician that the article’s tone is chest-thumpy about how he “got schooled,” but still it’s interesting (and disappointing) given the ultimate loss of the Ambassador Hotel. The irony, of course, is that at the time of the clash the subtext of the LAUSD’s efforts to build public opinion against the project wasn’t just how distasteful it was for Trump to erect a quarter-mile phallic monument to himself, but that the Ambassador deserved the far better fate of being preserved and repurposed as a school, rather than razed in vein for so vain an endeavor.

Here’s a surprise: Turned out school and civic officials were rather disingenuous in their commitment to preserving the historic landmark. And while one could well argue that the new school there now is better than a giant tool and how, what we’ve learned a quarter-century after Donald’s failed deal is that the Ambassador was doomed to be collateral damage either way.

Last night was the sneak preview blogathon at the Sierra Madre Playhouse for “A Christmas Memory” based on a short story by Truman Capote. This is a musical with live musicians, not canned sound tracks.

I was captured from the get go with this play. The performances by the cast were engaging and brought the story to life. To avoid spoilers I’ll not give away too much of the plot or story line. The setting is a man’s boyhood home and sequences between the now and his boyhood spent in rural Alabama raised by cousins in the depression. The story is about a man returning “home” after being gone a long time for the funeral of a cousin who raised him. Its an interesting story of familial love and bonding, with adventures and making fruitcake.

The latter is central to the story and the song “Fruitcake Weather” is lively and just adds to the story line. Young Buddy (Ian Branch) and Sook (Diane Kelber) have a bond that is magical and plays out well on stage.

The music gets a big round of applause, but one of the best sequences in the production is when the cast breaks out the ukelele’s and busts out into song. Fun, well done and did I mention fun?

To read more about the cast and production team visit their website HERE. The Sierra Madre Playhouse has another hit on its hands here. The play has already sold out for Friday and Saturday night its opening weekend. You can still get tickets for Sunday and the remaining dates (the play closes December 27) via the Playhouse HERE.

I met Gayle Montgomery quite a while back and impressed with the depth of concern she has for her fellow human beings. Through her job she met Sergeant Major Acosta. A disabled Vet who lost his eyesight during a batle in the Middle East. Gayle also works on a local committee trying to find solutions to our homeless problem and became aware that a large percentage of our homeless are Vets with no resources to help themselves. Sergeant Major and Gayle got to talking about the problems the expected El Nino will bring for them. Here are a few of the things they discussed.

Homelessness in Vets was reduced from 4 years ago. Now 1 in 10 who sleep on the streets is a veteran.

There has been a 6% spike in the last year of homeless veterans, probably attributable to the spiraling cost of housing in combination with the draw down.

The largest concentration of homeless Vets anywhere in our nation is in LA County where there are over 4,000 Vets who sleep on the street.

It is the position of the group that has who have joined hands in lockstep across a wide geographical area, that no person who honorably served our nation should have to sleep on the streets.

No person who served our nation should have to suffer such adverse weather conditions without supplies and without knowing that, Gayle’s employer is Glad to Be of Service to those who faithfully served us.

This project very closely parallels the Soldiers Angels Program which serves those on the battlefield. This project serves those who were on the battlefield, came home, and have had difficulty reintegrating into society.

From that conversation came the idea to create Thank a Vet Inc and their first mission “Operation Save a Vet”. It will consist of a multipronged approach to help the homeless vets trying to survive on the streets during the coming rainy season. First is getting in kind materials donated to them for distribution. Second is to raise funds for care and shelter for these vets, men and women trying to cope with life outside the military. Continue reading “Operation Save a Vet launches this Friday – start your Holiday Giving early”

Sometimes magic happens on stage. This time around it hit home at Sierra Madre Playhouse with the production of “Always…Patsy Cline”. The cast was magical and I was tickeled beyond belief to been on the sidelines watching the cast grow into their characters and bring this production to life. Some 4000 people from all over the L.A Metro and OC saw the play. You can scroll through for my review from the soft opening.

Actors Cori Cable Kidder (Patsy Cline) and Nikki D’Amico (Louise Seger) gave heartfelt thanks at the end of the show. Artistic Director Christian Lebano and Managing Director, Estelle Campbell also chimed in with their thoughts on the play. Enjoy their closing comments and consider visiting the Sierra Madre Playhouse for their next production opening later this month, A Christmas Memory.

What…Truman Capote at the center of a story for Christmas? Yes, in short this is a loosely based story of his childhood in the foster system and the family that contemplated saving him by sending him to a military school for more structure and balance. There’s your synopsis, the real story lies in the casting and direction of turning this short story in to a musical complete with ukelele. Starring a former “harlette” from Better Midler’s cast of talented crazies this play will be directed by Alison Kalmus, a real treasure and supporter of the Sierra Madre Playhouse.

This isn’t her directing debut with the Playhouse, that was 2004 with A Christmas Carol Story, no this will be her 5th play directed for the Playhouse. She brings a creative vision that ties music and the story line together in what is hoped to be a magical evening. Alison is a huge supporter of the Sierra Madre Playhouse and helps to bring their mission of American Plays by American authors in historical context. I can’t wait to see this play.

And I don’t have to wait for the grand opening as I’ll be hosting another soft opening blogathon at the Playhouse for this play the evening of November 25, 2015, Care to be one of the first to get a sneak peak, a little look see and tweet and instagram it for posterity? Message me at [email protected] with your twitter handle and instagram and I’ll get back to you with details. I can promise you a most outstanding theatre experience, booze and of course my famous Browned Butter Brownies to keep you satiated during the intermission and before hand.

It seems like only yesterday I wrote about this amazing play and shared the back story of a blogathon soft opening that opened at Sierra Madre Playhouse. This play has exceeded everyones wildest expectations. Between Nikki D’Amico and Cori Cable Kidder, backed up by a live band you get the story of Patsy Cline and her biggest fan in a lively if not outright energetic play. Always…Patsy Cline has received numerous nominations from the local theatre community. Cori herself has received phenomenal reviews and nominations for an Ovation Award from the L.A. Stage Alliance.

Always…Patsy Cline has been extended twice due to demand…selling out every weekend since it opened in July. There are only 10 performances left before the curtains close the final time on October 30, 2015.

Make a night of it. Dinner out at one of the few restaurants in Sierra Madre or kick back a beer at Lucky Baldwin’s in honor of Louise’s Schlitz she pounds down during the play. Order your tickets here. Order fast as they sell out quickly.

This weekend was a terrifc weekend, if you forget the blazing heat and attended the Monrovia Association of Fine Arts 52nd Annual Celebrate the Arts and first ever ChalkFest.

Celebrate the Arts incorporated several first as I outlined the other day. What makes these events fun isn’t so much the terrific art, but the ability to see artists working on their art, demonstrating their technique. There year there were several artists doing just that. Glass blower Joshua Smilth wowed folks with his tecnhique. Metal sculpturist Bill Hyatt continued working on his horse head sculpture a painstaking process of welding dot by dot to build up the face and texture of the horse.

Sometimes it is more than the car, its the perfect mix of ambition and heart.

Last night started out like any other manufacturer party. This time hosted by Dodge. It was different as instead of rolling out a red carpet for a shiny new car, it was to give a gift to suburban Los Angeles based “A Walk on Water“. AWOW for short.

Until last night I hadn’t heard of them or their mission. AWOW is there to support families with autistic members. They provide the entire family, not just the person with autism, with the chance to spend a fun day together learning to surf. They believe in the theraputic powers of the ocean and surfing as a way to bridge the communication gap and give a family with special needs a fun learning experience they can share.

Actor Danny Trejo gave a moving introduction to the group and shared how is own family is affected by autism. Its just not the person with special needs that needs help, but the entire family that is affected and need help with coping and learning. The board members of AWOW also shared with us their personal stories on why what they do is important to them and the families they help. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house after one board member talked about how his non-verbal son spoke his first words after his first surf ride. He’s skilled now on the board that he’s ready to be a teacher in the group. The power in belief in abilities and that you can make always find a way to make a positive out of a challenge.

The big news dropped at the end of the presentations is that Dodge, a division of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was donating $20,000 to AWOW to kick start their growth and expand beyond the Los Angeles area. Dodge/FCA together are also pledging an additional $50 for every test drive at authorized dealerships in the coming days up to $5,000 additional for AWOW. (list of authorized dealers after the jump). It was hinted that Danny Trejo himself will be at some of the dealerships during their day of sponsored test drives to meet and greet those helping out AWOW by taking drive in a shiny new Dodge.

To further sweeten the pot, Nacional Records, our host for the evening festivities, is going to give away 2 tickets per test drive to the October 3 Supersonico Festival at the Palladium.

I could add a few more snarks, but bottom line a few electric cars in the LAPD make sense in the right applications. No I can’t imagine them used in a high speed pursuit, but contrary to local TV that is not a constant occurrence. There’s plenty of things they do that involves just slogging around town and idling in traffic that an electric car and its zero emissions at the tail pipe make sense. Detectives cold calling witnesses and victims on follow up doesn’t need speed nor lights flaring. Parking meter slugs idling around town issuing tickets is another area that kinda makes sense.

Regardless of what you think of the EV, they make sense in some applications and if we can save some gas money swapped for electrons cheaper off the grid to power these little beasts its better for the cities bottom line.

Personally, I like the BMW i3, Drives very much like what you expect from BMW, with its aggressive regeneratvie braking systems a quick lift of the throttle feels more like downshifting a gasser than just idle coasting. My full review from a few years ago HERE that included an interview with the BMW i project manager.

Free subscription to blogging.la for the first person who captures a pic of the BMW i3 in action on the streets of L.A.